Method and facility for sealing bottles with sterile sealing caps

ABSTRACT

A machine for sealing bottles with sealing caps includes a transporting track for supplying sealing caps, a separating device for making available separated sealing caps and a transfer device for placing the separated sealing caps on the bottles. At least the transfer device is disposed in a sterile chamber and a spraying device is provided for introducing a sterilizing agent into the interior space of the sealing caps and a drying device is also provided for driving sterilizing agent out of the sealing caps.

The invention relates to a machine for sealing bottles with sealingcaps. Machines of this type find use for plastic as well as for glassbottles in bottle filling installations, screw caps, crown corks orother seals being used as sealing caps.

SUMMARY OF THE INVENTION

The inventive method and machine ensure that a sterilization of thesealing caps is carried out, before the caps are placed on the bottles,the sterility being maintained until the sealing cap is put in placeowing to the fact that the transfer device is disposed completely in asterile chamber. The drying equipment in the sterile chamber avoids acontamination of the openings of the bottles by residues of sterilizingagents. Moreover, an operation with short cycling times is possible, asis required in high-performance filling plants.

Further details and effects arise out of the following description of anexample of the object of the invention, shown in the accompanyingdrawings

IN THE DRAWINGS

FIG. 1 shows an inventive machine in a partially sectional, side view,

FIG. 2 in a side view, shows the arrangement of the machine of FIG. 1 inan installation for filling bottles under sterile conditions, and

FIG. 3 shows a diagrammatic plan view of the bottle conveyor of theinstallation of FIG. 2.

DESCRIPTION OF THE PREFERRED EMBODIMENTS

As can be seen from FIG. 1, the machine 1 has a transporting track 2,which is charged from a storage tank, which is not shown. Adjoining thetransporting track 2, there is a separating device 4, which makesavailable the sealing caps 3 in individual positions. The machinefurthermore comprises a transfer apparatus 5, by means of which theseparated sealing caps 3 are placed on bottles 6, which are transportedalong a bottle transporting track below the machine 1.

In a sterile chamber 7, a separating device 4 for the sealing caps 3,which is assigned to the transporting track 2 at its end and in which,in the example shown, there is also a downstream transfer device 5, isdisposed. The sealing caps 3, which go over to the transfer device 5,are therefore no longer exposed to the outside air and instead, afterleaving the transporting track 2, are in a sterile environment. Sprayingequipment 8, assigned to the upper side of the transfer device in theupper culmination point of this device, acts upon the sealing caps 3located in the transfer device 5 with a sterilizing agent, which issprayed into the interior space 3 b of the sealing caps 3. For thispurpose, the sealing caps 3, while the sterilizing agent is beingsprayed in, are in a position, in which their interior points upward.Therefore, before they are transferred to the bottle openings, thesealing caps 3 must be turned, so that the interior space 3 b facesdownward and the sealing caps can be placed on the bottles 6.

Furthermore, drying equipment 9, which is effective in a region betweenthe place, where the sealing caps are acted upon with the sterilizingagent and the place, where the sealing caps are transferred to thebottles 6, is assigned to the transfer device 5. The drying equipment 9acts on the sealing caps 3 and especially on their interior spaces 3 bwith sterilized hot air at about 70° C., which blows residues ofsterilizing agents out of the sealing caps 3 while the latter are beingturned from the sterilization position 10 into a position 11, in whichthey can be placed on the bottles 6.

In the example, the transfer device 5 is at the same time designed forturning the sealing caps 3 from the sterilization position 10 into thesetting-down position 11 and constructed as a star wheel 12, whichrevolves in a vertical plane and is provided over its periphery 13 withaccommodating elements 14 for the sealing caps 3, which are distributedat regular intervals over the outer periphery 13 of the star wheel 12.These accommodating elements 14 are constructed as clamping elements,which hold the sealing caps 3 and grip around the latter in their upperregion, which is averted from the opening of the interior space 3 b.However, the clamping elements can also grip around the entire sidewalls of the sealing caps 3. The clamping action can be brought about byclamping jaws 15, which are provided with, for example, elastomericelements, which accommodate the sealing caps 3, holding them. Thesealing caps 3 can be moved out of this holding position in theaccommodating elements 14 by means of a punch 16, which is movable alonga vertical axis 17 and acts on the sealing caps 3, located in thesetting-down position 11 in such a manner, that the punch 16 presses thesealing caps 3 out of the accommodating elements 14 and places them ontothe bottle 6 below.

In order to prevent free fall during this setting-down motion, the punch16 includes at its front region 18 a suction or gripping device, whichconnects the respective sealing cap 3 detachably with the punch 16,before the sealing cap 3 is ejected from the accommodation elements 14.

For placing a sealing cap 3 on the bottle 6, an additional, downwardsdirected pressure is exerted by the punch 16 on the sealing cap 3, sothat the sealing cap 3 already receives a certain security on the mouthof the bottle. This is desirable especially in the case of screw caps,so that these already grip the thread with their retaining ring and arefinally fixed by a rotating device, which is downstream from the machine1.

Alternatively, the punch 16 can also, at least with its front part 18,be rotatable about the vertical axis 17, in order to make screwing ofthe sealing cap possible already during the setting-down process. Forcrown cork-like sealing caps, a compression unit, which lies around thesides of the crown cork about an opening bulge of the bottle, can bedisposed at the front region 18 of the punch 16.

For supplying the sealing caps 3 to the sterile chamber 7, the exampleshown provides, as transporting track, a chute 2, which discharges atthe inlet opening 19 into the sterile chamber and guides the sealingcaps 3 in single file in contact with one another and makes themavailable with the interior space 3 b pointing downward at the inletopening 19. At the inlet opening 19, the sealing caps 3 are taken overby the separating device 4, which accepts the sealing caps 3, forexample, by means of a punch 20, such as a suction punch. In theexample, the punch 20 is constructed so that, aside from a verticallifting motion, which enables it to reach through the inlet opening 19,it can carry out a superimposed swiveling motion about a horizontal axisand, after swiveling through an angle of about 90°, reach a horizontalposition in which, in a horizontally traveling motion, the sealing caps3 taken up are transferred to the star wheel 12 of the transfer device5. During this traveling motion, the punch 20 forces the respectivesealing cap 3 into an in-phase available, accommodating element 14 ofthe star wheel 12. For its linear and swiveling motions, the punch 20includes its own suitable driving mechanisms, the details of which arenot shown, such as an electromagnetic driving mechanism for the linearmovement and a pressure medium driving mechanism for a swiveling driveunit.

The device for holding the sealing cap 3 on the punch 20 can beoperated, for example, by means of a vacuum or by means of a mechanicalgripper.

The punch 20 is synchronized with the timed rotation of the star wheel12 in such a manner, that each accommodating element 14, on passing bythe separating device 4, is equipped with a sealing cap 3.

The star wheel 12 transports the sealing caps 3, which have been takenup, in the direction of the arrow 21 initially past a detector unit 22,which checks, for example, by means of photodiodes, whether each passingaccommodating element 14 is provided with a sealing cap 3.

In the further course of the movement, the sealing caps 3 are broughtconsecutively into the sterilizing position 10, in which their upwardlypointing interior space 3 b is placed below the spraying device 8 andacted upon with a sterilizing agent.

The spraying device 8 can be constructed as an ultrasonic atomizer foratomizing the sterilizing agent, which is introduced over a front nozzle22 into the interior spaces 3 b of the caps.

For this purpose, the spraying device 8 is connected with a tank 23,holding the sterilizing agent, as well as with a tank 24, holdingsterile air, in order to be able to bring a mixture of sterilized airand a sterilizing agent, such as hydrogen peroxide (H₂O₂) into theinterior spaces 3 b of the caps. Basically, such a spraying device 8 isknown from the EP 0 272 538 B 1. Instead of hydrogen peroxide, it isalso possible to use other sterilizing agents, such as hot steam, theuse of which will depend on Food Law Regulations in force and therespective circumstances.

After the sealing caps 3 are sprayed with sterilizing agent, they areturned in the further course of the star wheel motion, the drying device9 being effective over the essential part of the motion from thesterilizing position 10 into the setting-down position 11 and, in itsregion of action, acting upon the sealing caps 3 with sterilized air. Bythese means, it is ensured that residue of the sterilizing agent do notremain in the interior spaces 3 b of the caps or possibly reach themouth of the bottle.

Due to the action of the drying air, initially also the outside of thesealing caps 3 are wetted with sterilizing agent which, after beingdriven out of the interior space 3 b by the air, is blown on the outsidealong the side walls. Because the drying device 9 extends along aconsiderable portion of the circular path of the transfer device 5,several sealing caps 3 can be acted upon with sterile airsimultaneously.

The sterile chamber 7 is under an overpressure, so that surrounding air,which could cause contamination of the sealing caps 3, cannot penetratefrom outside through the chambers, which are open at the bottom in theregion of the setting-down position 11. Since the open bottles 6, whichhave already been filled, are also kept in an environment of sterile airup to the setting-down position 11, the bottle openings are alsosterile, so that, overall, sterile filling is ensured. If the conveyor,transporting the bottles 6 to the machine 1 is also moving in a sterilespace, the pressure in this sterile space appropriately is higher thanthe pressure in the sterile chamber 7 of the machine 1, in order toprevent residues of sterilizing agent being transferred to the bottles6. In this case, a vacuum connection piece 24, leading to a pump, isprovided in the upper region of the sterile chamber 7 for aspirating airout of the sterile chamber 7.

If, as is shown in FIGS. 2 and 3, the machine 1 works together with amulti-row filling installation, as described in detail in the Germanpatent application 197 00 156.4-23, the machine 1 can consist of acorresponding parallel arrangement of similar components for supplying,preparing and putting in place sealing caps 3, in order to close off thebottles 6 simultaneously with sealing caps on several parallel, conveyorbelts.

In all therefore, the intervention has made possible a method, for whichthe sealing caps are supplied over a transporting track, in which theyare still freely accessible and can be subjected to a quality control inthe sense of a sorting out of defective sealing caps, to a transferdevice, which then takes over the sealing caps in separated positions.After the defective sealing caps have been sorted out, a high functionalreliability of the transfer is assured. The sealing caps are supplied tothe transfer device directly or indirectly with the interior spacepointing downward, then turned by the transfer device so far, that theinterior space points upward and can be sprayed with sterilizing agent.After a further turning, the sealing caps are dried, before they areplaced on the bottles with the interior space pointing downward.

What is claimed is:
 1. Apparatus for sealing containers with sealingcaps in which the sealing caps have an interior space and an interiorspace opening comprising: a sterile chamber; a transfer device disposedin said sterile chamber for transporting said sealing caps and forplacing said sealing caps on said containers; a sealing cap supplydevice for supplying sealing caps to said transfer device and includinga transport device for transporting said sealing caps and a separationdevice for taking separate sealing caps from said transport device andtransferring said separate sealing caps to said transfer device; acontainer supply device for supplying containers to said transferdevice; a sterilizing device in said sterile chamber for introducing asterilizing agent into the interior space of the sealing caps on saidtransfer device; and a drying device in said sterile chamber forremoving said sterilizing agent from the interior space of said sealingcaps.
 2. Apparatus for sealing containers with sealing caps in which thesealing caps have an interior space and an interior space openingcomprising: a sterile chamber having an opening; a transfer devicedisposed in said sterile chamber for transporting said sealing caps andfor placing said sealing caps on said containers, said transfer deviceincluding: a rotatable body rotatable about a generally horizontal axis,said rotatable body having: an outer periphery and a plurality of spacedplacement devices on the outer periphery of said rotatable body, each ofsaid placement device accommodating a sealing cap; said transfer devicebeing operable to sequentially position said placement devices adjacentto said opening; a sealing cap supply device for supplying sealing capsto said transfer device; a container supply device for supplyingcontainers to said transfer device; a sterilizing device in said sterilechamber for introducing a sterilizing agent into the interior space ofthe sealing caps on said transfer device; and a drying device in saidsterile chamber for removing said sterilizing agent from the interiorspace of said sealing caps.
 3. Apparatus for sealing containersaccording to claim 2 further comprising a sterile air device forintroducing sterile air into said sterilizing chamber and formaintaining the pressure in said sterilizing chamber greater thanatmospheric chamber.
 4. Apparatus for sealing containers with sealingcaps in which the sealing caps have an interior space and an interiorspace opening comprising: a sterile chamber; a transfer device disposedin said sterile chamber for transporting said sealing caps and forplacing said sealing caps on said containers, said transfer deviceincluding: a rotatable body rotatable about a generally horizontal axis,said rotatable body having: an outer periphery and a plurality of spacedplacement devices on the outer periphery of said rotatable body, each ofsaid placement device accommodating a sealing cap and including a holderon said rotatable body which holds said sealing caps on said rotatablebody and including elastomeric elements; a sealing cap supply device forsupplying sealing caps to said transfer device; a container supplydevice for supplying containers to said transfer device; a sterilizingdevice in said sterile chamber for introducing a sterilizing agent intothe interior space of the sealing caps on said transfer device; and adrying device in said sterile chamber for removing said sterilizingagent from the interior space of said sealing caps.
 5. Apparatus forsealing containers with sealing caps in which the sealing caps have aninterior space and an interior space opening comprising: a sterilechamber; a transfer device disposed in said sterile chamber fortransporting said sealing caps and for placing said sealing caps on saidcontainers, said transfer device having: a plurality of spaced placementdevices on which sealing caps are disposed, a plurality of operatingpositions for changing the location of said placement devices, and oneoperating position in which a first placement device is located in onelocation, the sealing cap disposed on said first placement device insaid one location having its interior space opening facing downwardly; asealing cap supply device for supplying sealing caps to said transferdevice; a container supply device for supplying containers to saidtransfer device; a sterilizing device in said sterile chamber forintroducing a sterilizing agent into the interior space of the sealingcaps on said transfer device; a drying device in said sterile chamberfor removing said sterilizing agent from the interior space of saidsealing caps; said sterile chamber having a chamber opening juxtaposedto said one location; said container supply device being operable todispose a container in a receiving position juxtaposed to said chamberopening; and said transfer device having an operating mechanism foreffecting transfer of said sealing cap from said one location to aposition on said container when said container is in said receivingposition, wherein said chamber opening underlies said operatingmechanism when said placement device is in said one location, saidchamber opening overlying said container when said container is in saidreceiving position.
 6. Apparatus for sealing containers with sealingcaps in which the sealing caps have an interior space and an interiorspace opening comprising: a sterile chamber; a transfer device disposedin said sterile chamber for transporting said sealing caps and forplacing said sealing caps on said containers, said transfer devicehaving: a plurality of spaced placement devices on which sealing capsare disposed, a plurality of operating positions for changing thelocation of said placement devices, and one operating position in whicha first placement device is located in one location, the sealing capdisposed on said first placement device in said one location having itsinterior space opening facing downwardly; a sealing cap supply devicefor supplying sealing caps to said transfer device; a container supplydevice for supplying containers to said transfer device; a sterilizingdevice in said sterile chamber for introducing a sterilizing agent intothe interior space of the sealing caps on said transfer device; a dryingdevice in said sterile chamber for removing said sterilizing agent fromthe interior space of said sealing caps; said sterile chamber having achamber opening juxtaposed to said one location; said container supplydevice being operable to dispose a container in a receiving positionjuxtaposed to said chamber opening; said transfer device having anoperating mechanism for effecting transfer of said sealing cap from saidone location to a position on said container when said container is insaid receiving position; said operating mechanism having a gripper unitfor gripping the sealing cap as said sealing cap is transferred fromsaid one location on said first placement device to said position onsaid container; and said gripper unit including a suction device. 7.Apparatus for sealing containers with sealing caps in which the sealingcaps have an interior space and an interior space opening comprising: asterile chamber; a transfer device disposed in said sterile chamber fortransporting said sealing caps and for placing said sealing caps on saidcontainers, said transfer device having: a plurality of spaced placementdevices on which sealing caps are disposed, a plurality of operatingpositions for changing the location of said placement devices, and oneoperating position in which a first placement device is located in onelocation, the sealing cap disposed on said first placement device insaid one location having its interior space opening facing downwardly; asealing cap supply device for supplying sealing caps to said transferdevice; a container supply device for supplying containers to saidtransfer device; a sterilizing device in said sterile chamber forintroducing a sterilizing agent into the interior space of the sealingcaps on said transfer device; a drying device in said sterile chamberfor removing said sterilizing agent from the interior space of saidsealing caps; said sterile chamber having a chamber opening juxtaposedto said one location; said container supply device being operable todispose a container in a receiving position juxtaposed to said chamberopening; and said transfer device having an operating mechanism foreffecting transfer of said sealing cap from said one location to aposition on said container when said container is in said receivingposition, wherein said sterile chamber opening is designated a firstchamber opening, said sterile chamber having a second chamber opening,said supply device having a supply track for said sealing caps leadingto said second chamber opening such the sealing caps pass through saidsecond chamber opening into said sterile chamber.
 8. Apparatus forsealing containers according to claim 7 wherein the interior spaceopening of said sealing caps face downwardly as said sealing caps passthrough said second chamber opening into said sterile chamber. 9.Apparatus for sealing containers according to claim 7 wherein saidsealing cap supply device includes a passing-along device which takes asealing cap from said supply track at said second chamber opening andtransfers the last said sealing cap to one of said placement devices onsaid rotatable body.